The ability of the gecko to climb vertical surfaces, seemingly in defiance of gravity, has been a source of amazement and scientific inquiry for many years. Since about 1965, it has been known that the adhesive strategy of the gecko relies on foot pads composed of specialized keratinous foot-hairs called setae, which are subdivided into terminal spatulae of dimensions approximately 200 nm.1 Contact between the gecko foot and an opposing surface generates adhesive forces that are sufficient to allow the gecko to cling onto vertical and even inverted surfaces. Although strong, the adhesion is temporary, permitting rapid detachment and reattachment of the gecko foot during locomotion. Researchers have attempted to capture the unique properties of gecko adhesive in synthetic mimics with nanoscale surface features reminiscent of setae,2-7 however maintenance of adhesive performance over many cycles has been elusive,2, 8 and gecko adhesion is dramatically diminished upon full immersion in water.9-10 
Many organisms found in water use chemical bioglues for various purposes such as adhesion, defense mechanism, and symbiosis. Those glues are found in barnacles, mussels, and microbes colonized on inorganic surfaces at an early stage of biofouling. Among these, the adhesion mechanism of mussels has been well characterized; 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine, DOPA, is found in adhesive pads and has been considered as a key component responsible for the strong holdfast under water. The present invention provides a unique “mimetic” functional combination of the two unique natural adhesion mechanisms inspired by geckos and mussels.